Safe



Jan. 7, 1936.,

M. D. BENNETT ET AL. SAFE l Filed July 2l, 1932 /N VENTO/65 ATTORNEYPatented `Ian. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE SAFE tion ofConnecticut Application `l'uly 21, 1932, Serial No. 623,730

4 Claims.

This invention relates to safes, and more especially to safes of thetype adapted to be used in banks for the purpose of housing currencyused during the regular banking hours when the fmain vaults are open.

It is the special object of this invention to devise a safe which may beequipped with a currency drawer for regular use in making change, and inholding the currency used during the ordinary days business of a bank orother institution of like character. It is a further object of theinvention to so devise the safe that it will contain a vault chamberwhich will hold, therein, a reserve amount of money which will beconstantly maintained in a locked condition.

It is a further object of the invention to so arrange the currencydrawer that it may, at any time, be moved to a fully closed position, atwhich time it will come under the surveillance or control of the lockingmechanism of the vault chamber of the safe.

This invention is especially intended to prevent daylight robberies byarmed bandits whose object it is to obtain the loose currency used 2.5during the day in the ordinary regular banking business when the vaultsof the safe are open. Thus, in the morning, when the bank is opened, themain portion of the currency may be housed in the Vault compartment ofour safe referred to above, and the relatively small amount of changecurrency necessary can be placed in the currency drawer which is used bythe teller, as will be readily understood. The vault compartment of thesafe is kept time locked, or otherwise maintained in locked condition,while the currency drawer is maintained open for ready access in makingchange, etc. In case of attack, the closing of the drawer willautomatically place it under locked condition as determined by the timeor other lock always eiectively locking the safe vault compartment.

For a clear description of our invention, we shall refer to the drawingwherein Fig. 1 illustrates a front View of our safe with portions cutaway to show the internal locking construction. Fig. 2 is a side View ofthe safe of Fig. l, also showing certain of the mechanism. Fig. 3 is aView of Fig. 1 along the lines 3-3. Fig. 4 is a View of Fig. 3 alonglines 4-v-4.

Referring no-w more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral Illindicates a safe structure which comprises a vault compartment`II towhich access is prevented by a door I2, and a regular currency drawerI3.

This currency drawer is equipped with a handle I4, by which it may bepulled to an outward position such as is illustrated in Fig. 3, in whichposition the money in the drawer may be handled in the regular manner bythe bank teller. Y The major portion of the money to be used for 5 thedays business in the bank is maintained in the vault chamber II, whichis kept inaccessible by the safe door I2.

For controlling the opening movement of the safe door I2, there arebolts I5 and I5 which are 10 actuated by the handle Il as is readilyunderstood in theart. A cross-bar I8 is secured for movement with thebolts I5 and I6, and this cross bar is equipped with a detent I9 whichcooperates in a conventional manner with a time 15 lock 20 forpreventing the opening of the safe door until the time movement runs apredetermined length of time. The operation of the handle I'I is furthercontrolled by a combination lock 2I. In sofar as the construction of the20 vault and the operation of the bolt mechanism and the time lock andcombination mechanism is concerned, it is all outside the scope of thisinvention.

Mounted between the currency drawer I3 and 25 the vault compartment is alatchbolt mechanism 22 secured to the frame member 23 by any preferredmeans. The tube 24 of the latchbolt constructionv contains the latchbolt25 which is spring pressed outwardly a limited amount rel- 30 atively toa gravity base member 25. The latch 25 and the base member 25 occupy alower position relatively to the tube 24 as is illustrated in Fig. 3where the vault door bolts are shown in their unlocked position. 35

As will be readily seen, the bolt mechanism I5 carries a slotted plate2l which has a pin and slot connection 28 with the clogging member 29maintained in position by the tube 39 secured to the :trame member 3|(Fig. 4). It will be quite 40 obvious that as the bolt I5 is thrown tothe left from its position of Figs. l and 4, it will move the dog 29 toan upward position against the gravity member 26 and move that memberand the bolt 25 to the upward position illustrated in 45 Fig. 2. Thedrawer is equipped with a strike mechanism 32 which will ride againstthe bolt 25 when the drawer moves to a closed position, so as to depressthe bolt, the bolt being adapted to spring back into the position ofFig. 2, so as 50 to securely maintain the drawer in its closed position.

The operation of our invention will be as follows: The vault chamberwill normally be maintained closed by the locking of the door I2 by 55tion between said compartments, a lock for one with said first lock, soas-to move its bolt and the bolts l5 and I6. The dog 29 will, underthose conditions, maintain the bolt and its gravity member 26 in theupward position of Fig. 2. Upon alarm, the teller will move the drawerto its closed position, wherein the strike 32 will come into positionrelatively to the bolt illustrated in Fig. 2 and the drawer will also bemaintained locked until such time as the time lock 20 operates.

What is claimed is,

1. In a safe, a compartment having a door, a drawer in said safe, apartition between said compartment and drawer, a bolt having a latchingend mounted in said partition, a lock for said door, means for operatingsaid door lock and said bolt simultaneously, said bolt latching endbeing depressible by said drawer in one of the positions of said boltwhereby to permit the drawer to close and to be locked, said bolt andlatching end being retractible as a unit upon release of the door lockwhereby to release said drawer.

2. In a safe, a pair of compartments, means for locking both of saidcompartments, a partiof said compartments, a lock for the other of saidcompartments mounted in said partition, said second lock comprising abolt having a latching end, means for operating said second locklatching end into latching position, and means for withdrawing said boltand its latching end as a unit when said rst lock is released.

3. In a safe, a compartment having a door, a drawer in said safe, a bolthaving a latching end, means on said drawer adapted to depress saidlatching end as the drawer is shut, said latching end being thereaftermovable into locking cooperation with a locking portion of said drawer,a lock for said door, and means of connection between said door lock andsaid drawer bolt whereby said bolt is withdrawn carrying its latchingend out of drawer locking position as said door lock is released, saidbolt being movable so as to bring its latching end into locking positionas said door lock is locked.

4. In a safe, a pair of compartments, a partltion between saidcompartments, a lock for one of said compartments, a lock for the otherof said compartments mounted in said partition, 20

said second lock comprising a bolt having a latching end, means foroperating said second lock, means for operating the first lock, saidmeans being interconnected so that said second lock is operable withsaid rst lock, so as to move 25 its bolt and latching end into latchingposition, and means for positively withdrawing said bolt and itslatching end as a unit when said first lock is released.

MAURICE D. BENNETT. SYLVANUS M. ARCHER.

